The Gathering

A poem

People family, friends, children

Love giving, passion, contentment

Inspiration imagination, innocence, vision

Strength commitment, wisdom, faith

This was indeed a gathering Of family, friends, children A sense of giving and contentment An air of grace

If I may Then let me say the sight was Beauty, filled with passion

In my vision, there was the rock of strength A man Woman of wisdom A child of innocence

And from the depth of the gathering The gift of love was present between people of many generations Truth in the bond of family Inspiration to write these words

The smell of spice Stewed tender chicken Sweet boiled banana pure A touch of dashing Fried octopus A taste to remember

I hear a rhythm from the soul Zouk Creole music make one rock to and fro The sound of gifted voices A presence of elders to respect

The New Year come The beginning of many stories to tell An everlasting echo of faith In this dawn, there will be love and commitment And surely this is only one gathering of many more to come

George Odarquaye Lamptey